Founders Way

1 hr 30 mins

3 km Return

137 m

Moderate track

This return walk starts at the Founders Way track head, in St Ives, and follows the pipeline through the National Park. The walk heads down into the valley where it comes to the Middle Harbour Creek pipe bridge. There is a short, optional side trip along the Bungaroo Track to the stepping stones crossing the creek.

(0km) Int of Hunter Ave and Founders Way → Int of Pipeline Track and Founders Way

70 m

1 mins

0m

-2m

Easy track

From the intersection, this walk follows the Founders Way service trail, heading away from the road and past a picnic seat, continuing along to the ‘T’ intersection with the pipeline track.

(0.07km) Int of Pipeline Track and Founders Way → Int of Pipeline and Bungaroo Tracks

180 m

3 mins

8m

0m

Easy track

Veer left: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail keeping the pipeline on the right as it heads up the gentle hill and past a Garigal National Park sign. It then continues through the bush for a while before coming to the signposted intersection with the Bungaroo Track.

Moderate track

Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the service trail in the opposite direction to the Pipeline Track arrow. The track keeps the pipe line on the right while heading through the bush, until the track comes to the intersection of the upper link track almost directly below the high-tension power lines. (Look for an arrow marked into the concrete pipeline support opposite the bush track.)Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the service trail, keeping the pipeline on the right as the track heads through the bush. The trail comes down a gentle hill to the intersection with the middle link track as it flattens out. (Look for an ‘X’ marked into the concrete pipeline support opposite the bush track)Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the service trail, keeping the pipeline on the right as it steadily heads down the long hill into the valley, coming to the intersection with the Middle Harbour Creek bush track at the pipe bridge.

Pipeline

This pipeline is unearthed at Hunter Street, St Ives, and travels through Garigal National Park, across Middle Harbour Creek to John Oxley Drive, Sorlie. The pipe carries water under pressure From Ryde to Pymble to the reservoir at Beacon Hill. The old smaller-capacity pipe can still be seen running parallel to the larger pipe.

Moderate track

Turn left: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track heading away from the pipeline, keeping the creek on the right as it winds through the thick bush for a while with the ground sloping up to the left. The walk comes to the intersection with the Bungaroo track (this heads up the wooden steps on the left).Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track, with the ground sloping up to the left and keeping the wide creek a short distance (through the bush) to the right. The track continues through the thick bush and around some boulders for a little while before bending to the right and coming to the Middle Harbour Creek, which it crosses at the large sandstone steppingstones (not safe to cross if stepping stones covered in water). The walk then continues up the steps on the other side to the signposted intersection of the ‘Governor Phillip Track’. At the end of this side trip, retrace your steps back to the main walk then Turn around.

Bungaroo

Governor Arthur Phillip (first governor of NSW) described this section of the river as where “the flowing of the tide ceased”. Phillip and his party of nine camped here in 1788 whilst looking for land suitable for farming. John White (Surgeon General) described the the area as “the most desert, wild and solitary seclusion that the imagination can form any idea of”. Over the past 200 years the river has changed, but somewhere not far upstream of the stepping stone is Bungaroo. More info.

Maps for the Founders Way walk

You can download the PDF for this walk to print a map.These maps below cover the walk and the wider area around the walk, they are worth carrying for safety reasons.

Fire Danger

http://new.wildwalks.com/wildwalks_custom/includes/walk_fire_danger.php?walkid=nsw-gariganp-fw
Each park may have its own fire ban, this rating is only valid for today and is based on information from the RFS Please check the RFS Website for more information.

Weather Forest

This walk starts in the Metropolitan weather district always check the formal BOM forecast or pdf before starting your walk.
http://new.wildwalks.com/wildwalks_custom/includes/walk_weather_danger.php?walkid=nsw-gariganp-fw
Forecast snapshot